


A New Home

by MysticWolfShadows



Series: Harrison Alistair [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption!, Harry Potter gets adopted, Pre-Hogwarts, Pureblood Culture, Traditions, Vernon Dursley Being an Asshole, Vernon Dursley gets what he deserves, Yay for Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-03-16 17:42:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13641252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticWolfShadows/pseuds/MysticWolfShadows
Summary: At age 9, Harry James Potter, had been a weak, frail, and all around tiny child. He looked like he would fit in better in a kindergarten class rather then his second grade class. At school, he was known for being clumsy and quiet, always falling or tripping, giving himself bruises, and always sitting alone in the back. In reality, he was beaten black and blue and to scared of punishment to speak. All that changes when he gets forgotten while the Dursleys are out, and gets taken in by an odd elderly couple.





	1. Friendly Faces

Harry was tired, and cold, and just really, really lost.

His Aunt and Uncle and Cousin had gone to the fair, and no one had been able to watch him. He'd gone with them, with the promise to make no sound, draw no attention, and that there would be no funny business. He had nodded at the time, but the thick crowd had eaten him and he'd been separated from them. He'd made his way back to the car, but he couldn’t find it. Most of the cars were gone, and Harry knew that he had been left behind.

He found a large tree where he could see the entire parking lot, and he sat and waited. It was cold, and it was getting dark. The sun had set already, and the moon just barely glowed in the sky. Harry hoped, wished that his Aunt or Uncle would remember to come back for him. It would take a while. The family had already eaten, and they would have expected Harry to go silently to his cupboard like he didn't exist. They wouldn't be expecting to see him until morning when he was to make breakfast.

Harry sat by the tree for what felt like hours, watching families and cars leave. None of them came to talk to him, though a few other kids his age waved. He didn't really expect them to want to talk to him, anyway. Then, he saw an elderly couple, the woman's hair already graying and the man walking with a cane. They had a trunk with them that they seemed to be having trouble moving. Biting his lip, Harry got up, and hurried over.

“Can I help?” he asked them, smiling as they looked at him. They looked rather surprised, so he pointed to the trunk. “It looks heavy. I can carry it for you.”

For a moment, they continued to stare, but the woman quickly nodded. “Of course. Are you sure you can handle it? It is rather heavy.”

Quickly, Harry nodded, taking the handle of the trunk and pulling it along as he trailed after the pair. They were talking quietly, or silently, to each other, and the man helped Harry push the trunk into the back of their rather large looking car.

“Thank you, dear,” the woman said with a smile. “That was very kind of you.”

Harry nodded, not speaking.

“Can you tell us where you're family is, son?” the man asked, setting the foot of his cane on the ground to lean on it, studying Harry. “A boy your age should be with family this late at night.”

Harry fidgeted, uncomfortable. He wasn't supposed to talk about the Dursleys to strangers. He wasn't supposed to talk at all. So he told them as such. “I'm not supposed to talk about them. They get angry when I talk without permission.”

The woman looked shocked, and turned to her husband. “Gerald, call Child Services. Now.” She then turned to Harry, kneeling to his eye level. “Alright, dear. Why don’t you come with us? We’ll take you to the police station so we can find your family.”

Harry bit his lip. If Uncle Vernon knew he’d been talking to strangers, or if the police called the house to tell them where he was. It would be best to just walk back, even if it did take a few hours… It would be better for him to come in quietly at dawn then for police officers to call and tell them he was at the station.

“No, thank you,” Harry said softly. He moved to take a polite step back. “I’ll be fine.”

“Dear,” the woman said, her voice somehow sad, reassuring, and stern all at once. “Get in the car.”

Harry got in the car, sitting behind the driver’s seat as the man drove. The woman sat beside her husband, turning in her seat to smile at Harry and talk with him. She asked him questions, like what his name was, who he lived with, and where he lived, but he didn’t tell her. He did answer her other questions, though. Like his favorite color, how old he was, and what his favorite game was.

When they pulled up to the station, a police officer was waiting for them. Harry slid out of the car, and tentatively took the woman’s hand when she held it out to him. The officer, Officer Lawrence if his name tag was to go by, smiled and led them inside. They sat at a small desk off to the side, where a name tag that said ‘Junior Officer Jonathan Lawrence’, with the officer behind the desk and Harry sitting in a chair between the elderly couple.

“So,” the Officer said, pulling out a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it. “We want to get you to where you belong, but we need to fill out a report before we call your family. Won’t take long, just a minute or two. That alright?”

Quickly, Harry nodded. This was a police officer. You always answer honestly when a police officer asks a question.

“Alright,” the officer says, clicking a pen. “Can you tell me your name? First and last?”

“Harry Potter.”

The officer paused, looking a bit startled, as did the elderly couple, but the officer seemed to recover quickly.

“Can you tell me where you live, and who with?”

“Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whiney. I live with my Uncle Vernon Dursley, my Aunt Petunia Dursley, and my cousin Dudley Dursley.”

“Harry,” the officer said, as he wrote this all down. “Has your aunt or uncle ever… touched you in a way you don’t like?”

Harry blinked, wondering what the officer meant. He thought about saying no, that they never touched him badly, but that would be a lie. Looking down at his hands, he gave a tiny nod.

“Can you tell me how and where?” the officer promoted.

Harry fiddled with the hem of his oversized shirt. “My Uncle likes to hit me with a stick. Normally on my arms or back. He’s been teaching my cousin to hit me with his fists. It hurts a lot…”

The elderly woman sucked in a breath, and Harry looked up at her. Her eyes were wide, and she looked close to tears as she covered her mouth with one hand. The Officer scribbled something down on the page and hurried off, catching another officer as he went. Harry watched Officer Lawrence for a second, seeing the man speak franticly with the other officer, before they both went hurrying off.

Harry looked down at his hands, picking at the hem of his shirt. He’d said something he shouldn’t have… Uncle Vernon would be mad again. This time, Uncle Vernon would probably use the fire poker instead of the normal beating cane…

The elderly couple were lead away by another officer, and Officer Lawrence came back with a camera.

“Sorry I have to ask this of you,” Officer Lawrence said, smiling almost nervously. “But… could you take off your shirt? We need to check and see if you’re hurt.”

Harry nodded, and stood up to pull off the much too big shirt. If he had said something wrong, it would be best to make it better by doing whatever the officer told him. But it seemed taking off his shirt only made it worse. The officer looked absolutely disgusted by the multitude of dark purple bruises on his arms and torso.. He hated them to…

“Don’t worry, Harry,” Officer Lawrence said, taking a few pictures. “You won't have to go back there. We’ll make sure of that. You can put your shirt back on.”

His eyes went wide, and he wondered if what the officer said was true. He didn’t have to go back to the Dursley’s? He didn’t have to sleep in the cupboard anymore? But… where would he go? His parents were gone, and the Dursley’s were the only family he had left. He pulled his shirt back on, and sat back down in the chair, kicking his legs as he looked at the floor.

Eventually, a tall lady in a suit came to talk to him, and she asked him all sorts of questions. She gave some food, and he answered all that he could. Why did he live with the Dursley’s? His parents died in a car crash. Did they ever call him names? Uncle called him boy or freak a lot. Did he go to school? Yes. What did he do when he was home? Chores. Mostly picking weeds in the garden, sometimes the laundry. He did all the dishes and cooking. Where did he sleep? In the cupboard under the stairs.

The lady smiled and gave him a lollipop when they were done, and Harry nervously ate it as the lady went to talk to the officer and the elderly couple. Harry watched the busy police station for a little while, until he saw Uncle Vernon coming in with an Officer. Knowing his uncle would want to get out as quickly as possible, Harry got up his chair. His uncle looked quite angry… His entire face redder then a tomato.

“There must be some kind of mistake,” Uncle Vernon was saying, as Harry hurried over. “I would never hurt my child! Dudley is a good boy, a smart boy! Just like I am. I would never-” He stopped when he saw Harry. His face turned from red to purple. “You! Boy, what are you doing here?! What lies have you been telling these men?! They came to our house, made a scene you stupid, stupid boy!”

Harry hung his head, tensing up and waiting for the hit. But it never came, and he looked up to see an officer leading Uncle Vernon away by force. The suit lady came back, and led Harry back towards the elderly couple.

“Harry,” the lady said softly as they walked. ‘You won't be going back to the Dursley’s house tonight. In fact the Alistair’s have a question for you.”

“The Alistair’s?” Harry asked. “You mean the elderly couple.”

The suit lady nodded. “Yes. Gerald and Zinnia Alistair. They have a very special question they would like to ask you.”

They stopped in front of the elderly couple, the Alistair’s, who smiled. The woman, Mrs. Alistair, was holding a stack of papers, and while Mr. Alistair had a stern face, he looked at Harry with affection rather then anger.

“Harry,” Mrs. Alistair said softly. “We, Gerald and I… We were wondering if we could adopt you. Do you know what that means? Being adopted?”

Harry frowned and thought. There was a girl at his school that was ‘adopted’, but he didn’t know what it meant. So he shook his head.

“Adoption,” Mr. Alistair said slowly, “is where two adults take in a child that isn’t theirs and become that child's mom and dad.”

Confused, Harry looked up at suit lady.

She smiled at him. “Harry, Mr. and Mrs. Alistair want to know if you would like to go home with them and be their son. They want to know if you’ll let them be your mom and dad.”

Instantly, Harry’s eyes went wide, and he turned back to the Alistair’s. They were smiling at him, looking… hopeful. They wanted him to be there son? They want to be… his parents? He was becoming almost jittery with excitement just thinking about it. _Parents_ . He could have _parents_!

Quickly, Harry nodded, tears welling up in his eyes and he rushed forward to hug Mr. and Mrs. Alistair. To hug his new mom and dad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spent a few hours cranking this out after the idea out after it popped up into my head. I have a bunch more, but not sure if I should post it or not. Probably will. Tell me what you think.


	2. New Home, New Family

The next few weeks are a blur to Harry. 

That night, at the police station, when the Alistair’s adopted him, they took him home. They lived in a big house, and Harry had wanted to explore it, but they said that it had been a long night and that he should get some rest. Mrs. Alistair led him to a big white room with empty walls and plain decor. She said they could decorate it later, make it more him, and she tucked him into bed, telling him that all he need to do is shout and they’d come get him. 

Before she left, she pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead, and Harry easily drifted off to sleep. 

When he woke up the next morning, it had been to Mrs. Alistair knocking on his door. 

“Harry,” she called softly. “Wake up, breakfast is ready.” 

Harry eagerly came out, and followed her down to the dining room. The table massive, stretching all the way across the room that was already three times the size of the Dursley’s dining room. All the places were empty except for three. Mr. Alistair sat at the head of the table, with Mrs. Alistair to his left, and Harry to his right. He was reading a paper, but he set it down before Harry could see what kind. 

“Morning son,” he said, as he took a bite of his breakfast. Eggs, sausage, and pancakes. “Sleep well?” 

Harry nodded, poking at his food for a minute, before eating it. It was really good, and he thanked Mrs. Alistair for it. 

When they finished, Mr. Alistair went off to work for the day, ruffling Harry’s hair before he left. Harry smiled and Mrs. Alistair took him to the store. They bought paint and sheets and picture frames, and Mrs. Alistair bought him a camera that they took tons and tons of pictures with. After they were done, they had two whole carts of decorations, clothes, and new things for Harry and his new room. A clerk even had to help them take it back to the car. 

Back at the house, Mrs. Alistair helped him decorate the room. They painted the walls a bright red color, with a white ceiling and carpet. The sheets were a soft grey with small red stripes, and they got matching curtains. A few things, like a clock and a calendar, were hung on the walls, and the clothes were quickly put away. 

By the time they were done, Mr. Alistair was home and they went down for dinner. He told them about work, how word had already gotten to his coworkers that he’d adopted another son. Harry was intrigued by this, and asked what Mr. Alistair meant by ‘another’. 

“We already have twelve children,” Mrs. Alistair said, smiling softly. “You have six brothers and six sisters. Most of them are all much older, already moved out of the house, but we still have three here, but they’ll be away until the start of summer in a month. I’ll show you pictures.” 

Harry stared at them in shock. He had brothers and sisters now? Twelve brothers and sisters? Their family was so big! How would he remember all their names? When he asked as much, Mr. Alistair laughed. 

“You’ll get it,” he promised Harry. “You’ll just have to work hard.” 

When they finished their dinner, Harry begged Mrs. Alistair to show him the pictures of his new family, but she promised they’d do it tomorrow. Mr. Alistair tucked him in that night, ruffling his hair before he left. 

Mrs. Alistair did indeed show him pictures of his new siblings, as well as his other new relatives. It turns out that Mr. and Mrs. Alistair were very old. They already had grandchildren that were older then Harry, meaning that Harry now had nieces and nephew’s to. 

His oldest sister, Moria Lawrence, was already married and in her thirties. In the photo Mrs. Alistair showed him, it had Moria with her two children. Moria was a tall woman with thick brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail, with big blue eyes. Her children looked very similar. Her son Jonathan was also the officer that had helped them the night before, and her daughter was a teenage girl named Dahlia, wearing a strange green hoodie with a silver snake on it.

Next, Mrs. Alistair showed him photos of Emit and Neva. They were twins, again much older then Hair was, and standing with reporter hats on their heads. Like hair, the both had darker hair, justs as messy, though more curly then his. They both had Mr. Alistair's intense blue eyes, though they had Mrs. Alistair’s gentle touch. 

After Emit and Neva, Mrs. Alistair showed him his sister Freya and her son Jasper. Freya was a short woman, with big brown eyes and curly brown hair. Her son looked a lot closer to his age then any one else had, just barely 14, with a face still chubby with baby fat, and the same big brown eyes as his mom. They were standing in front of a house on a snow covered mountain, and Harry wondered if they were on vacation there. 

Then came Dorian and Marissa. Dorian was sitting in a chair, one leg twisted and outstretched, a pair of crutches leaning on the chair next to him. He had a kind face, even though it was covered in a scruffy beard, and he had a scar cutting across one of his green eyes. Mrs. Alistair explained that Dorian had been a professional athlete, but a ball smashed his leg, and a different accident made the cut on his eye. He was also adopted like Harry. Marissa, who was sitting on the back of the chair, was about Harry’s age. Her hair was cut into a short bob of gold hair, and her eyes were a bright hazel color. 

The next one was of his brother Quinn and Quinn’s twin children. They were all inside a kitchen, baking, and with Quinn smiling brightly and kindly. He was a lot like Freya, with a bit of a baby face and big eye, and his kids were much the same. One was a boy named Hester, and the other was a girl named Milla. Hester and Milla were just a few years younger then Harry. They lived in a town far away where Quinn owned a bakery. 

After them was Russell, who was also adopted. He was sitting with a guitar and a little girl on his lap. He was wearing a back jacket, and was looking down at the girl, so Harry couldn’t see much of his face, but Russell's hair was a mess black and dark blue spikes. The girl, Russell’s four year old daughter Jenna, had a head of fluffy black hair and was clapping in excitedly. 

Arianna came after Russell with her two sons. She had a head of frizzy light brown hair, a pair of glasses perched on her nose. In her arms were two boys, her three year old son Jameson and her one year old son Joseph. They were all in front of a library. The sign said DALS, but Harry didn’t know what that stood for. 

The next photo was of one man and dozens of kids. Mrs. Alistair explained that the man was her twenty year old son Mason. He’d been adopted from the orphanage he was standing in front of, and now ran and helped each child find a home. He was tall, with a short cropped hair cut. His eyes were shining brightly in the light, looking almost gold. 

The last photo was of three people. The oldest, seventeen year old Derrick, sat at a table, a large cauldron in front of him with jars of things Harry didn’t recognize. Derrick was very straight faced, focused, his eyes hidden behind thick glasses and his hair a long pale blond mess pulled back and tied in a blue ribbon. On either side of him was a girl. Nina, age fifteen, was a dark haired girl holding some kind of ball. She was peering over Derrick’s shoulder, her eyes as dark as her hair. The other girl, thirteen year old Skyla, had a head of blue hair, like the sky, getting darker at the roots. Her eyes were also blue, and she looked excited. 

By the time they got through the photo book, Harry was half asleep and they had a quick snack before he went to bed. 

The next day was different. They went into town, to a big building, and Harry had to talk about his Uncle Vernon. He had to tell a room full of people about how his Uncle treated him. The nice suit lady was asking him questions, and he answered. Then, she sat down and a man Harry recognized came to ask him questions. It was the father of one of Dudley’s friends. 

“Tell me,” Mr. Peirs said. “Why would a good, respected man like Vernon Dursley hit you? You who he let so graciously into his home?” 

Harry shrank in on himself. “I… I don’t know. He does it when I’m bad sometimes, but sometimes-” 

Mr. Peirs cut him off. “So he’s disciplining you?” Then he turned to the other people in the room. “Is disciplining our children a crime now?” 

“I don’t know,” Harry says, growing scarred and shaking a little. “It hurts a lot and he never-” 

“Discipline,” Mr. Peirs said, slapping his folder against the table and making Harry flinch, “is supposed to hurt. I remember very clearly when my mother spanked me when I did something wrong. Does that make my mother, an esteemed member of this community, a criminal?” 

“I don’t-” Harry whimpered, tears welling up, but Mr. Peirs cut him off again. 

“So is he hitting you, or disciplining you?” 

Harry began to cry. People went crazy, a man beating a small hammer against the podium as Harry tried to run back to Mrs. Alistair. Mr. Peirs blocked his way. 

“You need to answer the question, boy!” 

“Mama!” Harry wailed, and instantly, Mrs. Alistair was there, plucking him from the chair and holding him as he cried into her shoulder. She held him tightly, carrying him as if he weighed nothing, and soothingly pet his hair. 

“Shhh,” she whispered, turning her head to press soft kisses to his temple. “Shhh, my darling… You’re safe now. You’re safe with Mama.” 

Harry whimpered and sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand as she carried him out. It didn’t stop him from hearing the whispers of people in the room. 

“Did you see the old woman lift him?” 

“It was like he weighed less then a toddler!” 

“Is it a testament to her strength, or a testament of how small he is for his age?” 

“How terrible!” 

“Dursley, such a despicable man!” 

When they got home, Mrs. Alistair asked him if he wanted to call her and Mr. Alistair Mama and Papa. Harry quietly nodded, and she kissed his forehead. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a reason why there are so many kids. Also, does anyone know what makes the Alistair family so odd?


	3. Magic

A month later, as school ended, and summer break began, Harry was giddy with excitement. He was waiting at home, with Mama, as Papa went to the train station to get Derrick, Nina, and Skyla. He was so excited to finally meet them. To finally meet his big brother and sisters. Well, at least the three of them. 

When they arrived, it was with loud thumps and, oddly enough, hooting owls. He was bouncing on his feet in the sitting room, squirming as he tried to stay hidden. They were going to surprise them, and Harry was so excited. 

“So we have a surprise for you three,” Mama said as the three came in. “There’s someone we’d like you to meet.” 

“Someone to meet?” someone, likely Deidrick, asked. “How intriguing…” 

“Did you get a dog?” a chipper sequel ask, and Harry would bet that that was Skyla. 

“No, I think this is bigger then a dog,” the last of the three said. “What are you guys hiding?” 

“Well,” Papa started, and Harry stepped out of his hiding spot. “He’s right here.” 

Smiling, Harry waved shyly. “Uh, hi! I’m Harry, your new… brother?” 

The three teens stared at him, and he looked up at Mama and Papa, but the two just gestured from him to continue. He wasn’t sure what to say, and nervously rocked on his heels. Before he could speak, however, Skyla squealed in excitement. 

“Oh my Merlin!” She gasped, and suddenly, he was pulled into a tight hug. “I’m not the youngest anymore! I have a baby brother! A  _ baby brother _ !” 

Harry swore he heard glass shatter somewhere. 

“Hey,” Nina called, coming over. “Don’t squish him! We just got him, we can’t break him yet.” 

Skyla huffed, but let Harry go. He looked up at two of his new sisters, wide eyed as they both smiled at him. Nina reached out and ruffled his hair. 

“Can’t wait for Dahlia to get here,” she said. “Then we can see how you do at Quidditch.” 

Harry blinked. “What’s Quidditch?...” 

The two girls looked surprised, but Derrick came forward and peered at him, adjusting his glasses. “You don’t know. Mother, Father, you haven’t told him? But he’s Harry Potter…” 

“Ah,” Mama said, smiling nervously. “Well, we weren’t sure how to broach the topic. Perhaps you three could help us?” 

And then, to Harry’s surprise, the three teens pulled out sticks from their pockets, and said strange words like Avis, Expecto Patronum, and Acio. And just like that, a flock of birds burst from the end of the stick in Skyla’s hand, a silvery misty horse from Nina’s, and a book went flying into Derrick’s hand. For a moment, Harry simply stared as the birds twittered and the misty horse trotted about before they disappeared. 

“It’s like…” he started, then stopped and shook his head. “It’s like magic!” Then, he turned to stare up at Mama and Papa. “But magic isn’t real…” 

“Well, who told you that?” Mama asked. “Magic is quite real. You just saw three people do magic with their wands. And you can do magic to.” 

Harry’s eyes went wide. “I can?” 

Papa nodded. “When you turn eleven, you’ll be going to school with Skyla and Nina, as well as your nephew Jasper and your niece Marissa. You and Marissa will be in the same year, and possibly the same house.” 

“So I’ll go away like Skyla and Nina and Derrick?” 

“Just for the school year,” Mama explained. “And you can come back during the holidays and spend them with us, of course. But it is quite a large school. You’ll make tons of friends, and we wouldn’t mind if you prefer to stay there with them at the school when the time comes.” 

Carefully, Harry nodded. He doubted he would stay behind if he had the option to return home. Wouldn’t it be better to see his family, spend the holidays with them? He looked at Skyla, Nina, and Derrick. For a moment, he wondered if they came home for the holidays. Surely they did… 

But they had other things to do for now, besides just standing around and talking. His brother and sisters had to take their things up to their rooms. The owls, and wow! They had real live owls! But the owls were released and went up a room in the house Harry hadn’t explored yet. He hadn’t gone in most of the rooms, even after a month of living in the house, since he didn’t know who each room belonged to. 

Turns out, Nina’s room was right next to his. It was decorated in a deep emerald green, with dark black lining. A few of her things seemed to be etched in silver, though, and Harry wondered if it had to do with school. He didn’t have to wonder long, though, as Nina pulled out some kind of broom. 

“Come on,” Nina said, smiling as she turned to lead him away. “I’m gonna show you Quidditch.” 

Harry jumped, hurrying after her. He caught sight of Skyla in her room, a mess of colors and posters. She was putting things away, and Harry wondered if maybe he should ask if Skyla wanted to come along, but instead, he turned and continued to follow Nina outside. Derrick was still at the table when they passed, and Mama was sitting with Papa in the living room. 

Nina took him outside, and around back to where a pond was. She set the brooms on the ground, moving to stand on the left of it. When Harry didn’t move, she gestured for him to do the same. 

“First,” she said as she held her right hand over the broom. “You have to sorta call the broom. You’ll hold out your hand, and tell it very clearly… Up!” 

The broom under her hand shot up, and she gripped it tightly. Harry looked skeptically down at his own broom. There was no way he could make it just… jump right into his hand. No way at all! But Nina just smiled and nodded at him when he turned back to look at her. He didn’t want to let her down, so he quickly did as she had instructed, and stared as the broom shot in to his hand. 

“Very good!” Nina praised, and mounted the broom. Harry followed her lead. “Alright, so, you’re going to gently push off the ground, and take into the air. Once there, I’ll show you how to-” 

“Nina!” Mama called from the back door. Harry jumped, startled, and turned to look at her with wide eyes. “You are not taking Harry up on that broom without supervision! And definitely not right before everyone arrives!” 

Nina pouted, but obliged. She dismounted the broom, and took Harry’s as he did the same, before setting them aside. Mama nodded in approval as Nina went to rummage around in a shed not far from them. 

“Harry,” Mama called then. “When you’re done out here, be sure to wash up and put on a clean sweater. The other children will be arriving within the next hour or two.” She turned to head back into the house, but paused as something short raced past her. “Oh, and Nina, tell Harry about some of the magic things we have in the house… We’ve been keeping them hidden until we had the opportunity to explain.” 

“Yeah Mom,” Nina called, and she dragged a trunk from the shed. “I’ll tell him once I’m done showing him Quidditch!” 

Mama huffed, muttering something about Slytherin girls and their Quidditch. Harry didn’t know what a Slytherin was, so he assumed she meant Nina. Once she was gone, Nina unlatched the box and flipped it open. Inside were two bats, along with a red ball in the center, two balls chained into the trunk on either side, and a gold box. 

“This,” Nina said as she pulled out the red ball. “This is the Quaffle. Chasers, like myself, try to get this through one of three hoops in the center that’s protected by a Keeper, like big brother Dorian.” 

She tossed it to him, and Harry clumsily caught it, looking the ball over. It was kind of hard, but not extremely so, and had pieces cut out of it that made it easier to hold. It didn’t feel right in his hands, so he put it back in the box. Nina gave him a bat. 

“This,” she said, tapping one of the chained balls, “Is a Bludger. They fly around trying to knock people off their brooms. A Beater carries a bat and knocks them away. Wanna give it a try?” 

Something coming flying at him and trying to beat him up? Yeah, no thanks. He handed the bat back and shook his head. Nina rolled her eyes and opened the golden box, plucking a little golden ball the size of a golf ball out. 

“The Golden Snitch,” she said as she placed it in Harry’s hand. “The Seeker in the player that tries to find this, catch it. The game doesn’t end until the Snitch is caught, but few people can actually see it once it starts moving.” 

Harry stared at the little golden ball as it unfurled tiny white wings. He stared in awe as they spread, fluttered, and the ball lifted from his palm. Nina groaned, looking around as if she couldn’t see it, but Harry watched as it zig zagged around the back yard. It was so pretty… Like… 

“It’s like a little gold hummingbird,” Harry laughed, chasing after the ball. Nina came after him, and watched as he jumped up, snatching the little ball from the air. He turned back to her, holding it out. “Here! We should probably get inside before Mama gets angry.” 

“Yeah…” She was looking at him oddly. As if unsure of what to say. “Yeah, lets go.” Nina led him inside, where the house had changed dramatically. 

All around, little creatures with big floppy ears and long pointy noses were popping in and out of rooms. Quite literally appearing with a pop, setting something down, then disappearing again. Harry stared, stepping to the side as one of the creatures hurried by with a tray of tea cups and biscuits. Nina smiled, snagging one of the biscuits before the creature popped out again. 

“House elves,” she said. “They do chores, and are bound to wizard families. The Alistair family has had our five house elves for centuries. According to Dad, they were very… over protective of him when he was a kid. Used to big families and always being busy. Nowadays, they all rush around between each house. Never a day of rest for these guys.” 

They continued on, and Harry looked around. The bare spots on the walls were covered in strange art, and books with strange titles had appeared on the shelves. Some pictures had been replaced with ones that  _ moved _ , and all that Harry could do is stare. It was suddenly a lot to take in, and Harry did his best to keep calm. It was okay. He was okay. Magic was real, and his new family loved him. Everything was fine. 

Harry went up to the shared bathroom, washing his hands before heading for his room. Mama had said to put on a new sweater, and so he picked the green one Mama had gotten him when they'd gone clothes shopping a week before. She'd said that green was very much his color, as was red, but she liked him in green a little more. 

When he went down to the living room again, people were already arriving. The room, before only filled the the soft sounds of Derrick with his cauldron and Papa turning the pages of his paper, were now filled with noise as the boy Harry recognized from the photo album as Jasper tried to get Officer Lawrence and a girl head to toe in green to stop arguing. Adults were off to the side, chatting idly. Mama looked up from her tea as he came down, and opened her mouth to say something, only for Skyla to come running down the stairs. 

“Johnny!” Skyla squealed, running up to Officer Lawrence, and hugging him around his waist. “I missed you! It's been forever! Why did you never respond to my letters?!” 

Officer Lawrence, or ‘Johnny’ stopped, looking at her in surprise, but grinned and ruffled her hair. “Hey Sky! Sorry, I've been doing undercover in Muggle london. No owls, you know? But I'll send letters at night next year. No Slytherins giving you trouble?” 

Harry slipped down, blinking as he looked all around. He'd… never expected to be in a room with so many people. It was almost scary. He wasn’t sure he could talk to these people. They were family now, but… There were just so many of them! 

Mama caught his eye, and she smiled at him, hopeful. She wanted him to he happy here. She wanted him to like it here. And, as Harry thought about it, he could. He wanted to be happy here, and he could. So he finished coming down the steps, and let his new family surround him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wanted to do more with the family, show off some of the characters that would appear more often then the others, but I only managed to do more with Nina. Depending on the house I decide for Harry (Slytherin or Gryffindor), she may be important. Next chapter will be a little different, give some background on some of the more important family members. 
> 
> A side note, the Alistair family is somewhat inspired by Emmeline Garridge's family in the fic Reparatio by astolat found at https://archiveofourown.org/works/5987962. It's worth a check, in my opinion. It's set after the end of the series, and has a Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy ship. The family doesn't show up until over halfway through, but the story itself is pretty good. I just really liked the idea of Harry being a part of a large, influential family, and I wanted to see how it would change the story. So, yeah!


	4. Witches & Wizards, Gossip & Rumors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't know why but I wanted to make a chapter that was like a magazine, or maybe a Gossip Blog, and I even made a Blog Header for it. But I don't have any major art skills to make actual images for it to look like a magazine, so, you know. You just get the text instead.

**Witches & Wizards, Gossip & Rumors**

The Horde Strikes Again! The Alistair Family take over another issue.

 

Gerald and Zinnia Alistair expand once more! Pg 3&4

Widower guitarist of Spelled Heart found love again? Pg 5

Old Chudley Cannons Keeper coming out of retirement? Pg 6

Youngest Potions Master in History! Pg 7

Breaking Magizoology History. Pg 8

DALS Library, Home to Hottest Librarian? Pg 9

Pixie Orphanage Dark History Finally Healed? Pg 10

Top Ten Hottest Wizards. Pg 11

 

**Gerald and Zinnia Alistair expand once more!**

By now, everyone knows the story of Gerald Alistair and Zinnia Prewett. Gerald Alistair was the sole heir to the Pureblood Alistair line, and Zinnia Prewett was the daughter of two pure blooded squibs. While attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they had met and fallen in love, the then young Zinnia Prewett leaving school early to marry the stoick Gerald Alistair. They had many children, some of their own blood (see pg 7, 8, and 9) and some adopted (see pg 5, 6, and 10 ). You can barely open  _The Daily Prophet_ without seeing the name of at least one Alistair, and it’s not just because twins Emit and Neva Alistair are two of its journalists.

With six sons and six daughters, you would think Gerald and Zinnia had had enough children. After all, they’d had so many that anyone connected to their family tree is starting to be call ‘part of the Horde’. But, as it turns out, the Alistair's have adopted yet another child into their ranks.

Though his original name is sealed, we at  _Witches & Wizards, Gossip & Rumors _ have learned that the young boy’s name is Harrison, and will take their last name to become Harrison Alistair. He, like his new brother Dorian Blake (see pg 6), was rescued and adopted out of a muggle home after the Alistair’s became frightened for his safety in his muggle home. However, his story is supposedly closer to his other new brother, Manson Grant, who was rescued from the clutches of the once dark Pixie’s Orphanage (More on Pg 10).

We hope to hear more about young Harrison in the future, and we’re sure that he will be just as famous as his new brothers and sisters. Good luck, and congratulations Harrison Alistair!

 

**Widower guitarist of Spelled Heart found love again?**

_~My heart is beating like a drum / and I don’t know if this real!~_

_~Am I under your spell / or is this just how I feel?~_

By now, every witch knows the lyrics of the newest hit song by _Spelled Heart_ by, well, heart. The rock band is known for their songs about love: finding love, fighting for love, unrequited love, losing love. The team of four - singer Derek Haus, drummer Jordan Bellis, and guitarists Kane Ross and Russell Wright - each work together to make a real and meaningful song about their love lives. This gives fans both joy of hearing the very real feelings of the four and the mystery of just who wrote which song.

Today, we at  _Witches & Wizards, Gossip & Rumors _ think we’ve cracked the case on the lyrics of ‘Under Your Spell’.

Last Friday, one of our ever loyal fans saw Russell Wright, one of the Alistair Horde, at the bakery in Hogsmeade owned by his brother Quinn Alistair. Now, when we had read the letter from said fan, we had been skeptical too. It would be normal for Russell Wright to visit his brother when he was in town. Had to be a coincidence! But it turns out, Russell had a woman on his arm. Or rather, a woman had Russell on her arm. Don’t believe us? We received a picture with the letter!

On Russell’s arm is none other then Maria LaRue, a french witch teaching Defense at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. Did Russell write ‘Under Your Spell’ based off his feelings for Maria LaRue? We think so.

 

**Old Chudley Cannons Keeper coming out of retirement?**

The day Dorian Blake, the fifth child and first adopted child of the Alistair Horde, had his leg beaten by a rogue bludger was a sad day for the Chudley Cannons. That day, the Chudley Cannons lost the best Keeper they’d seen in years, and Dorian Blake lost the use of one of his legs. It wasn’t all bad, though, as it gave him time to return home to care for his daughter Marissa Blake, then five, now nine.

Now, four years later, Dorian Blake was seen entering the Professional Quidditch Registration Office with the help of his niece Dahlia Lawrence, Seeker and Captain of the Slytherin team at Hogwarts. When asked, the secretary that had been manning the desk at the time refused to tell us why Dorian had been there, but we hope to see him on a broom in the coming months!

 

**Youngest Potions Master in History!**

Rumor has spread over the last two years of a new Potions Master entering the world, who was much younger then the rest. A prodigy brought from the ever wise Hogwarts house of Ravenclaw, this now seventeen year old earned an O on his Potions NEWT at 15, and left Hogwarts that same year after completing his OWL’s. The only reason we never heard about this was because he returned to Hogwarts the last two years to study more in depth under his now fellow Potions Master, Severus Snape.

This prodigy is, of course, Derrick Alistair.

The tenth oldest Alistair child was always known to be intelligent for his age, as he was proudly displayed as top of his class since he entered Hogwarts. Gerald and Zinnia Alistair eagerly boasted about his intelligence since the day he began to talk, though they did this with all of their children once they displayed their talents.

The world still welcomes its new Potions Master, and are eager to see what new things he can create for us!

 

**Breaking Magizoology History.**

In school, Freya Alistair was clever, a Slytherin just like her father. After her father’s success in the Wizengamot, her mothers success in Muggle Affairs, her eldest sisters surprising success in the Centaur Liaison Office, and… Well, you get the idea. After her parents and three older siblings successes, there was speculation as to how this fourth Alistair child could possibly astound and amaze us.

Now, any Magizoologist worth their knut knows of Freya Wells (nee Alistair).

At the ripe young age of 18, a year after leaving Hogwarts, young Miss Alistair left home to the dragon wilds of Hungary. Everyone thought she was insane, but three years later, she returned with a plethora of notes on the social dynamics of the Hungarian Horntail, as well as a hatchling that had somehow imprinted on her.

“He’s less of a pet and more of my first baby,” Freya Alistair had claimed after her return. ‘But then again, most old witches say the same thing about their Crups.’

As the hatching Hungarian Horntail grew larger, she left her home with her then research partner, Kale Wells. Another three years and we find that Freya Alistair and Kale Wells had been married for some time, and had a bouncing baby boy, the now beloved Hufflepuff Jasper Wells. When asked about how having a dragon living in her home affected how her son grew up, last week, she had this to say.

“There is no one as caring and loving as my son. Growing up with a dragon as his brother, he learned only to trust his instincts, and to be loving and loyal. Ba’ul [Bah-ool] taught him to love, no matter the exterior, and we will continue to love our loyal dragon.”

 

**DALS Library, Home to Hottest Librarian?**

Since its opening, the Diagon Alley Library System, or DALS for short, has been very popular for adults and children alike. Records show that everyone - Auror’s, Hogwarts student’s, Quidditch player’s - has visited DALS Library at least once a month since it’s opening last spring. We did a pole of the people as they entered the library last week.

Quiet place to read/work: 9%

Wide variety of books without paying: 14%

Great meeting place: 28%

Madam Alistair: 49%

As you can see from the results above, the most popular reason to visit is Madam Arianna Alistair, the Librarian at DALS Library. For anyone familiar with our articles on the Alistair family, you know the story behind the eighth child of the Alistair Horde. For those who aren’t, we’re glad to share!

While in her first year at Hogwarts school, Arianna Alistair met James Morris, a then seventh year, who was in Ravenclaw with her. While James joined the fight against the Death Eaters and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Arianna finished school. After her graduation, they met again and entered quite the scandalous relationship. They pursued it anyway, and had a son out of wedlock, young Joseph Morris-Alistair. Two years ago, after the announcement of their second child, James Morris suddenly fell and died from an old injury in the war. Their second child was named Jameson Morris-Alistair, after the father he would never meet, and Arianna Alistair turned the downstairs of their two story Diagon Alley home into the DALS Library.

Madam Alistair has spent the time since opening the library helping everyone expand their knowledge, both by sharing her massive collection of books and helping students study for their return to school. She’s well loved, and we’re certain that when the time for the Top Ten Hottest Witches list this winter, Madam Alistair will be near the top.

 

**Pixie Orphanage Dark History Finally Healed?**

After any war, there will always be children who lose their parents. From Purebloods to Muggleborns, there’s always children who end up without a home, especially in one lasting over a decade. Most of these children are either taken in by relatives, or by family friends. But what about the others?

Enter Pixie Orphanage.

Created by Pureblood sisters, Iris and Venes Pixie, Pixie Orphanage was and still is the only orphanage that accepted Muggleborns alongside the Purebloods and Half-Bloods. Many people were thrilled, and Pixie Orphanage was greatly supported by the public through millions of galleons of donations. Then a dark secret was uncovered. The Pixie sisters of Pixie Orphanage were using the Muggleborn children as house elves, using Orphanage funds and donations for their own financial gain, and were revealed to be Death Eaters.

After their arrests, a life sentence in Azkaban Prison for child abuse, fraud, and embezzlement, the Pixie Orphanage was taken over by Aleksandar Rodic, who was caught just two years later of similar crimes against children. This continued for years, a new matron or patron coming along only to be just like the others. It was a brutal cycle, never ending, and the Alistair family adopted several children from the Pixie Orphanage. One such child is young Muggleborn Mason Grant.

Mason Grant, the third adopted and ninth child of Gerald and Zinnia Alistair, has become the patron of Pixie Orphanage. As a Muggleborn who spent 4 years of his life in Pixie, during the reign of the Pixie Sister’s themselves, is no stranger to the dark reputation of the Orphanage. Yet, in the last three months since he began his work there, the public has already begun to see the changes this member of the Alistair family is having on the Orphanage and the wizarding community.

 

**Top Ten Hottest Wizards.**

As we like to do at the end of the first issue of the summer, we have the Top Ten Hottest Wizards list. We pulled in nearly one hundred different nominees over the last three months, but only ten can make onto our list. And, the votes have been tallied and are now ready to be revealed. Without further adieu, from 10 to Hottest, the Top Ten Wizards of the year!

10) Lucius Malfoy  
Just barely making it onto the list, Lucius Malfoy has a dark air about him that seems to attract witches and wizards alike. Though, many here at _Witches & Wizards, Gossip & Rumors _aren’t quite sure why.

9) Emit Alistair  
The first Alistair son and researcher at the Daily Prophet caught many eyes when he left Hogwarts. The Ravenclaw was offered many jobs, including one here at _Witches & Wizards, Gossip & Rumors_, and he broke our hearts when he denied. He broke even more when he announced he wouldn’t be looking for a wide until after he’d walked his sister down the aisle.

8) Mason Grant  
Still young, this Orphanage Patron was already well known thanks to his status as a member of the Alistair Horde. With a caring and generous personality, Mason Grant is known for having an almost innocent air about him that has left more then a few witches disappointed when he confuses their romantic advances as offers of friendship.

7) William Weasley  
Like Mason Grant, this Gringotts Curse Breaker is young and comes from a rather large family. However, if you’re familiar with the Weasley name, you know that the Weasley’s come from a much more humble background then the Alistair’s. While his long hair and fang earring most likely infuriate his mother, we find they make him look roguishly handsome!

6) Albus Dumbledore  
As always, the Hogwarts Headmaster somehow made it onto the Top Ten Hottest list. None of us are at all sure how.

5) Severus Snape  
This Potions Master is the Potions Professor and Slytherin Head of House at Hogwarts. Like Lucius Malfoy, he holds a mysterious air that seems to make witches weak at the knees. We suspect most of his votes come from mothers of students in Slytherin house.

4) Myron Wagtail  
Lead singer of the up and coming band Weird Sisters, this man has an allure we haven’t seen since 1980’s Top Ten Hottest Wizard Sirius Black, back before his dark betrayal. We can expect that in coming years, Myron Wagtail will remain on our Top Ten Hottest list.

3) Dorian Blake  
Ex-Keeper Dorian Blake was always attractive, and once again steals a spot in the top three, even with his crooked leg.

2) Quinn Alistair  
Young Quinn Alistair is a sweet man with a bakery in Hogsmeade. Many a witches go out of their way to go to his bakery just for his award winning sweet boyish smile. Some of our own witches and wizards are quite well known in the office for showing up late with a box from his treats. We all pretend like we don’t know, since we’ve all been there.

1) Russell Wright  
Just like last year, the guitarist of Spelled Heart has taken the top spot in a landslide. Well known to be a truly caring father, with a beautiful voice and an attractive body to boot. Witches and wizards everywhere fought for the limited edition poster starring him, and many were eager to try an ‘console’ him after his wife’s death. If rumors are true and Russell Wright has found love, many will be cry tears of sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, most of the Original Character's that appeared here will be important later on, and I'm sure that a few can pick out just where they'll be mentioned most. I did this because I wasn't entirely sure how to get the info on them out, and this was a good way to do some world building in a style that I don't normally do.  
> As always, if you have a question or opinion to share, leave it in the comments section bellow and I will always try to respond, usually within a few hours, and always within twenty-four hours.


	5. Surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's Birthdar finally arrives! And they have a little chat.

The summer seemed to fly by, and soon it was Harry’s birthday. The Alistair’s had an annual Summer Gala that took place in August, so the house was already buzzing when it actually came to Harry’s birthday. The night before, Mama had been running around picking everything from flowers to table clothes to types of silverware while Papa was contacting all sorts of people, owls flying in and out. Skyla and Nina had been recruited for writing invitations, and even Derrick was helping Papa. Harry was mostly left to his own devices, though Mama asked for his opinion every now and then when she would get stuck.

Harry hadn’t expected them to have time for him. He expected them to glance over his birthday, continue organizing this party. Maybe they would give him a quick congratulations on turning ten, but nothing more then that. So, when Harry woke up the morning of his birthday and found the house eerily quiet after all the hustle and bustle, he got worried. Had something happened while during the night? Mama and Papa were kind of old… Had the stress gotten to them? 

Expecting the worst, Harry moved slowly down the steps towards the dining hall. All the lights were out, and for once Harry couldn’t see any of the house elves running around in preparation for the ball. There was no Minky running the near endless tea line, nor Jooky or Tikki bringing items to Mama for her to look at. Dazey wasn’t cleaning like if she stopped moving she would die, and while that was actually a good thing, it still worried Harry that she wasn’t anywhere in sight either. 

When he stepped into the dining hall, Harry had really been expecting the worst. Maybe someone had snuck in during the night, or they’d forgotten him on their way out the door. But as he stepped in, there was a loud  _ pop!  _ and the lights were suddenly flooding on. Harry felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest in fright and the shout made his ears ring. 

“Surprise!” nearly a dozen voices shouted. “Happy Birthday!” 

Harry went rigid, his heart pounding as he stared at the scene before his eyes. The dining room had been transformed, changing from the mess of Ball decisions to a bright rainbow of birthday decorations. Red, blue, and green streamers were spreading all through the room, with yellow, pink, and blue balloons bobbing all around. Behind the table stood his Mama and Papa, Derrick, Nina, and Skyla, along with Dorian, Quinn, and Russell with all of their children as well as Jasper and Dahlia. The house elves where in front of the table, their short arms raised as high as they could, holding up a banner with ‘Happy Birthday Harry’ in big bold letters. 

His mind raced, and what was happening was beginning to dawn on him. His family was throwing him a party. A surprise party. They hadn't forgotten him. Nothing bad had happened. He was with people that… that  _ cared _ , and… and he stared to cry. 

Instantly, everyone fell silent, and Mama hurried to his side. She led him out of the door, softly shushing him as she smoothed out his hair. 

“It's okay,” she told him, voice soothing as she knelt down to look him in the eyes. “What's wrong? Can you tell me why you're crying?” 

Harry sniffled, wiping at his face. “I… I don't know…” 

“That's alright,” Mama said as she pulled him in for a hug. “Sometimes we don't know why we cry. Would you like to come back in, or go sit in the garden for a while?” 

“I want to go back in,” he says quickly. After all, they must have gone through a lot of trouble to come today, and if he didn't go back in, it would all be for nothing. 

Mama smiled softly, pressing a kiss to his forehead before leading him back into the dining room. Everyone was still waiting for him, smiling but cautious, as he comes back in. He didn't need to be looking at her to know Mama was doing her silent communicating with Papa. Moving on, Harry gave each of his brothers, sisters, and cousins hugs. Russell’s four year old daughter Jenna kissed his cheek when he went to hug her, and Hester and Milla do similarly when they hug him. 

They all moved about, talking and celebrating for an hour. They played some games, including a game Russell brought because Mama said that the throwing darts were to dangerous. Marissa was rather disappointed by that, but Harry already knew that she was the kind of person that liked to try new things. She was curious of how things worked, and was creative enough to make something of her own that worked similarly. Dorian always called her his ‘Blooming Raven’, and Harry didn't understand why, though everyone else seemed to. 

After games, they sat down for some cake. It was vanilla with milk chocolate frosting, and ten brightly glowing candles. Everyone sang for him, even the house elves, though Harry could already see Dazey itching to grab a broom. When the song ended, and Mama told him to make a wish, Harry thought really hard about what he could wish for, but he couldn't think of anything. He was happy where he was. Happy just being here, in their home with the elves and his many brothers and sisters, or even his nieces and nephews that were older then him. He was as happy as he could be, and he wanted the others to be as happy as he. 

So, taking a deep breath, Harry blew out the candles.  _ I want my family to be happy _ , he thought fiercely.  _ I want everyone to be as happy as I am right now. _

They ate cake, and Marissa and Skyla tried to pry out of him what he wished for. He only smiled, shaking his head as he insisted that he couldn't tell or it wouldn't come true. 

After cake, they moved on to presents. Mama sat him down on her and Papa's sofa by the fireplace, and everyone came one by one with presents for him. He insisted that they didn't have to, only for them to insist that they wanted to. So Russell's was first, and Jenna handed the bag to him. It was a small portable disc player, with a small case for maybe twenty or so discs, though three were in there already. “Two of Spelled Hearts albums,” Russell explained. “Along with an American band called Pearl Jam. Wasn't sure what music you liked but you gotta listen to track six on our new album New Comer.” Harry thanked him, gave Jenna a hug, and set the bag carefully to the side. 

Next was Quinn's gift, and Hester and Milla proudly held it up for him to see. It was a heavy looking box, and they set it to the side rather then Harry's lap. When he removed the lid, he found about thirty or so books, all with different titles. Cooking for Youth, How to Garden, Drawing: Beginner's Guide, Ancient Runes for Kids, and to many others to read at the moment. “It's silly,” Quinn said, blushing and smiling at him. “But Mother said that you didn't have many books in your bookshelf in your room, so I got all the beginners books I could find. Maybe you'll find a hidden talent?” Admittedly, Harry's fingers itched to open the cooking and gardening books. At the Dursley’s it had been a chore, but he enjoyed those times the most. He actually kind of missed it. 

Derrick gave him some sort of potions set. Apparently he'd noticed that Harry was always curious about his big brother's potions when he brewed in the main hall. It had a few things that that Harry couldn't make sense of, but when he flipped through the hand written book it didn't look to completed. Mama didn't seem to like a few of the things, though. Dreamless Sleep, Draught of Peace, Bottled Sun. They looked sort of cool to Harry… 

Dahlia, on behalf of her mother Moria, her father James, and her brother Jonathan, gave him a set of three small boxes. One was a package of small multicolored beads, small enough to fit in his palm but heavy all the same. The second was about the size of a piece of paper, but nealy 10 centimeters tall. When he opened it, it showed folded posters, with the silhouettes of people and animals. Finally, the last box was about the size of a shoebox, with a slingshot inside. The slingshot looked rather old, much older then Harry, and he turned to Dahlia for explanation. “It's sorta a tradition. Grandpa learned how to use one from his father, and he taught my mom, who in turn taught everyone else and me and John. She won't be here to help you learn, but Grandpa probably could. The posters can be enchanted to move so you can practice with moving targets.” 

Harry didn't question why he would need to know how to shot people or animals with a slingshot, but he thanked her and moved on. 

Nina, apparently with permission from Mama, had gotten a child's ‘Ground Quidditch’ set. It was apparently something new that was designed for kids who couldn't fly yet. There were six nets, pairs in varying heights about as tall as Harry and all the regular balls and the two bats. While the Quaffle seemed to be pretty much the same, the bats seemed to made of a material closer to plastic and the Bludgers were made of a sort of mesh-foam material. The Snitch was silver instead of gold, and there were a set of five, each of a varying speed. The rules were basically the same, and Harry wanted very much to run outside and try it out, but he knew Mama would be upset if he was rude to everyone else. 

Jasper, on behalf of his mother Freya and his father Kale, gave him two books and some kind of special voucher. The books were about magical creatures, one for rare magical creatures and one on magical pets and magic related to them. The voucher seemed to be for a pet of his choosing, signed by Freya, along with a vault number. Harry noticed Mama gain an odd look, though it was gone almost as soon as it came. 

Skyla had gotten him a blank journal. It was a simple black leather bound book, with his initials engraved in silver on the cover. HJAP for Harrison James Alistair Potter. Mama and he had agreed that he would keep his name, using the full name of Harrison (which he hadn't known was his full name) and hyphenating his last name and Mama and Papa's last name. Skyla thought it would be nice for him to record his memories in a sort of diary. Harry really liked the thought. 

Dorian and Marissa didn't give him anything at first, but after the others had left, Harry was pulled away from helping Dazey clean up to sit at the dining room table. Dorian was sitting to one side of the table, Mama and Papa on the other, all three of them facing Harry. He wasn't sure why he felt uncomfortable, until Mama spoke up, soft and gentle. 

“Harry,” she said, reaching out to grab Papa's hand. “There's something we haven't told you yet. About… our world. The wizarding world and you.” 

She trailed off and Papa, who normally left the talking to Mama, spoke up. “We didn't know who you were when we decided to adopt you, but you and your… birth parents are well known in our world. When you just barely a year old, something happened that ended with a bad man gone and you orphaned.” 

Harry stared at them for a minute, then looked down at his hands. Why were they telling him this? Why tell him any of this? From Papa's tone, he didn't want to talk about Harry's birth parents. He didn't even like bringing them up. And Mama, she couldn't even say it herself! But why was Dorian here? Why bring one of his brothers into this conversation? 

“Why are you telling me this?” Harry asked, looking down at his hands. 

“Because I knew then,” Dorian finally says. “Sort of… We were… in the same house in Hogwarts, though I was a year or two above them.” He reached down, rummaging around in the bag he carried, before pulling out a large book. “I owled some of my old housemates for photos of them, and their friends… I thought you'd want to know about them.” 

For a moment, Harry only stared at the book. His parents were in there… His birth parents. Lily and James Potter. The parents the Dursley’s said died in a car crash. He glanced at Mama and Papa, wondering what they'd have to say about this. He could tell Mama was worried, and Papa even seemed tense, though his face was as stoic as ever. 

Slowly, Harry reached forward and pulled the book towards him. He'd take it. Learn about his birth parent, to keep their memories alive. After all, it sounded like they had… sacrificed themselves for him. The least he could do was remember them. 

“Thank you,” he said softly to Dorian, then turned to Mama. “The voucher Freya gave me… could we go out tomorrow and get me a pet?” 

Mama didn't seem to be put at ease with his casual question, and Dorian quickly got up. “And that is my cue to hop away,” he said, using his crutches to go as fast as he could. Harry frowned, looking at Mama and Papa in confusion. 

“Harry,” Mama started. “When we said that you're well known in the wizarding world, we weren't joking. Everyone has heard of you. And if the public knew that it was you that we adopted, some would come looking for you, and some would attempt to take you away from us.” 

Harry felt his chest well in panic, and he clutch the photo to his chest. “What?!” 

“We'd protect you, of course,” Mama quickly continued. “We'd never let anything happen to you. But it's up to you weather people know just who you are or not.” 

“Meaning that if we took you to get a pet, would you want to go in disguise or not,” Papa said plainly. 

Harry didn't have to think to hard about it. If people knowing he was with them would cause Mama and Papa trouble, then Harry wanted to go in disguise. But it got him thinking. 

“What about the Gala?” He asked. “Would I have to wear a disguise there to?” 

“We've talked about it,” Mama said slowly. “And we know a couple that went to school with Morita that you could stay with until all the Gala guests are gone. They have many children as well, and a boy who will be in your year at Hogwarts. I think it would be nice if you could make a trustworthy friend before you went…” 

“Just because some of our guest were in Slytherin with me doesn't mean they're untrustworthy,” Papa rumbled, though Mama ignored him. 

“Can I think it over?” Harry asked, figiting in his spot. “And give you my answer before the Gala?” 

“Of course, dear,” Mama said instantly. 

“Okay…” Quickly, he stood, carrying the book as he went. He moved towards the doors, but paused. “I'm going to my room…” Silence, then after a moment, he added , “I love you.”

Hurrying out, Harry went to his room to think a few things over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it is at this point that I would like all of you readers to comment on your thoughts!   
> Should Harry become exposed as the one adopted at the Gala where he'll meet some other magic children? Or should he go and spend the day at the house of these people who may or may not be the Weasly's (Who am I kidding, they're SO the Weasly's)?


	6. A (Smaller) Big Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry meets the Weasley's instead of going to a ball.

Harry spent the first few days thinking over what he wanted to do. He wanted to be there during family events. He wanted to be a part of the family in more then just name. But Mama had a good point. If there were people that would be upset with them adopting him, then he didn’t want to get them in trouble by being at the Gala.

He’d go to Morita’s friends house.

When he told Mama and Papa, they seemed to have expected this, and nodded in understanding. They told him a little more about the family. Their family name was the Weasley's. The parents, Arthur and Molly, had six sons and one daughter. Mama was actually Molly Weasley’s second cousin once removed, or something like that, but Mama's father had been taken off the family tree for some reason, so they didn't talk much.

The day before the Gala, long enough before anyone would arrive, Harry had a bag packed for a weekend at the Weasley's. He'd be taking the Floo, which was basically teleporting through a fireplace. Skyla and Jasper would be coming with him, since they didn't have to stay for the gala, while Nina and anyone else over 15 were. Papa said it was because they were ‘approaching adulthood’ and ‘need to be introduced to adult society’ and then Papa had enter the longest strain of speech Harry had ever heard from him, but Harry couldn’t even understand what he was talking about. Something about courting, moon flowers, and moon balls?

So Skyla went first, to show Harry how it worked, and then Harry went. Jasper would meet them there.

When Harry stepped through the Floo, he was met with a house very much unlike the Alistair home. The Alistair home was large and peaceful. The Weasley's house? Crowded and loud.

“And here he is!” Skyla giggled as Harry stumbled out. She was standing by a short redheaded woman in an apron. “Mrs. Weasley, this is my little brother Harrison!”

“Harrison Alistair,” Mrs. Weasley said with a smile. “Always good to meet a child of Zinnia's, adopted or not.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harry said carefully, trying not sound so timid. “And, uh, I prefer Harry…”

“Of course dear,” she said, nodding. “And call me Molly. None of that Mrs. Weasley rubbish. We're family after all.”

Harry noticed how Skyla didn't correct her, tell her that Mama didn't think of the Weasley's as family, so he kept his mouth shut. Carefully, he lifted his suitcase. “Where can I-?”

“Mum!” a pair of voice interrupted from the nearby staircase. “Have you seen the owl? We-”

There, on the stairs, were a pair of red headed twins, both staring at Harry and Skyla.

“Fred, George!” Skyla called, beaming. She turned to Harry, a grin plastered on her face. “Harry, these are two of my house mates! They're in Gryffindor with me.”

“Hello,” Harry said, hesitantly. He wasn't sure how the two would react to him, but he hoped it was good. After all, they seemed to know Skyla, and Skyla was a great sister. He didn't want to upset any of her friends.

“Hello, Harry,” one of the twins said with a grin as they came down shake his hand.

“Good to meet ya,” the other said.

“Wait a second-”

“That scar on your forehead-”

“Are you-?”

“No way!”

“Harry Potter?” They gasp together.

Harry blinked, pulling his hand back. “Uh… Yeah. I mean… I guess?”

“Oh, leave the boy alone,” Molly said, swatting the twins away with a rag. “Off with you! Shoo!”

The twins scurried away, talking over each other and to each other. Molly sighed, exasperated, then turned to shout up the stairs.

“Ron!” She shouted. “Ronald, come down here! The Alistair's are here! That room had better be spotless! Ronald!”

“I'm coming!” Another voice called back, barely reaching Harry's ears over the sound of feet on the steps. “I'm right here, okay?”

Molly huffed again. “Ron, help him with them with their bags. They I'm sure their heavy.”

“It's fine,” Harry said, tightening his hold on the handle of his suitcase. He'd packed a few of his cherished things, like the photo albums and the journal. He’d been keeping them close to him since his birthday, so he could look at them when ever he felt the need.

Ron led him and Skyla up the stairs, through the crowded stairwell, and past a few doors. Skyla disappeared inside one of the doors on the way up, and Harry was left with the Weasley to go up to the top.

“This is my room,” Ron said, holding the door open. “Probably isn’t what you’re used to but it’s still a room.”

“I’m still trying to get used to my room at the Manor,” Harry admitted, trying to be light and joking. Ron was supposed to be his age right? Mama had mentioned that they’d go to school together, be in the same year. It would be nice to have a friend before he got there.

His words didn’t seem to have the desired effect, though, and Ron practically bristled.

“What, you to much of a snob for a bloody manor?”

Blinking, Harry shook his head, startled. “No, no! I just- I meant that the Manor is just so big and back at-” Harry could feel his voice crack “-my aunt and uncles, my cu- room was so small! This is good! It’s great!”

Not seeming to be appeased, Ron huffed and stormed off down the stairs. Harry winced at each thud of feet on the steps, and dropped back onto the unmade cot in the corner of the room. That hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped, and Harry didn’t know why Ron didn’t seem to like him.

XxXXxX

Harry ended up spending the rest of the afternoon sitting in that room, staring at the photos in his albums. The moving pictures with the smiling faces of his biological parents, and the proud faces of Mama and Papa. He wished he could go home, back to the Manor, where he could sit in the lounge with Mama and Papa and Nina and Derrick and Skyla. He wished he could sit with them and listen as Mama gently read their book. It was about a group of children that stumbled into a magical world through a wardrobe, and they were getting so close to the end…

But as the sky grew darker outside, Harry knew that he had to go down to eat. It was getting so late, and he hadn’t eaten since lunch early that day.

So he tucked his photo albums back into his bag and slowly tip toed his way down stairs. The rooms were still filled with noise, though all the doors were closed. When he reached the bottom, he found Molly in the kitchen, working at pots and pans, and he walked over. She smiled at him, pulling a pan of biscuits out of the over.

“Hello dear,” she said sweetly. “Dinner won't be ready for a bit longer. Jasper arrived some time ago. He’s out with Ron in yard if you want to go see him.”

“I was actually wondering if there was anything I could do to help,” Harry said, almost timidly, as he looked around the kitchen. There was so much happening in the house, it didn’t feel right to just let Molly do all the cooking while he just sat around. “Maybe I could stir a pot or something?”

Molly stared at him for a moment, before she smiled brightly at him and held out a wooden spoon. “How about you mix this pot here,” she said, pointing at the pot that was steaming on the burner. “It’s step tonight. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

Harry didn’t argue with her, instead simply stepping up onto a stool so he could see inside the large pot. He stuck the spoon inside, doing his best to stir it up. For a moment, he felt like Derrick, with a big old cauldron and a bubbling mixture. He wondered if potions would be fun once he got to school. Maybe Derrick could teach him some things over the next year?

He stirred the pot for a while before a timer went off and Molly took it off the burner to set it on the table. Harry helped her set the table, and watched in surprise as the Weasley’s all seemed to just appear once food was on the table. There were actually five boys, though Harry supposed that could be because one was old enough to leave already, and then the girl. Skyla came with them, and they all took a seat. Jasper came in with Ron, going to the sink to rinse his hands before he sat.

Harry quickly realized dinner with the Weasley’s was different then dinner back at home. Mama liked there to be chatter, but several of the Weasley's talked with their mouths full. The house elves always brought the full plates to the tables, where as the Weasley’s severed themselves at the table. Dazey always kept the table clean, even while they were eating, while the Weasley’s table was soon a mess.

It was different, but Harry managed to be seated between Jasper and Skyla, who were still smiles and manners like there were at home. Their places were getting the brunt of the messiness, leaving Harry’s place clean as he ate. Mama always insisted he eat seconds at home, and as he finished his first plate, he started to feel sick. His stomach churned and his chest felt tight, every bone in his body aching as he got up from the table.

“Excuse me,” he mumbled, taking his plate to the sink before heading swiftly for the stairs. Had he gotten sick from something in the food? He didn’t know what to do. He wanted Mama and Nina and Papa and Derrick and their book and-

He slipped into Ron’s room and sat on the floor as he pulled out the Alistair photo album. He tugged the picture of Mama and Papa out, careful to not tear it, and stared at it as he shook.

He wanted to go home…

As he sat there, wanting desperately to go back down and ask Molly to owl Mama, Ron came in. He had his hands in his pockets, looking a bit nervous, and eyeing Harry warrily. Harry didn’t look at him, instead staying on the floor, album clutched to his chest and photo help in front of him.

“Jasper got pretty cross with me,” Ron said slowly. “Only met him a few times, but he’s never scolded me before. Usually he’s just so mellow… Said I was being unfair to you.” A pause. “Feeling homesick? Want to talk about it?”

Harry shrugged. He didn’t want to talk, but Ron just shrugged back and sat down. For a second, Harry thought he’d ask him about it, but Ron just started talking. About random things Harry didn’t know anything about. And, while the sick feeling didn’t completely disappear, it did edge away.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all…

XxXXxX

The next day brought a good bit of fun.

The Weasley's house was in a good place to do several things. The woods nearby were exciting to explore, and there was a lake nearby that they could swim in. The oldest son currently in the house, Charlie Weasley, had been the Quidditch captain and Seeker for Gryffindor team at Hogwarts, so they had quite a bit of old Quidditch gear. Harry insisted that he could sit and watch, rather then participate. He rather not have word get back to Mama and needlessly worry her.

They did swim in that lake after lunch. It was mostly just the boys, as Ron’s sister didn’t seem to eager to fall the boys in, and Skyla was busy sitting on an old stump with a canvas and some paints. Ron and Harry quickly got into a splash war, and then Charlie and the twins got involved. (Percy was being a party pooper, studying in his room alone). Charlie, shockingly strong, though it could just be that he was seventeen, took Ron and Harry onto his shoulders, while the twins stacked themselves, and they were soon off on a game of chicken fight.

The twins, somehow, won even against Harry and Ron’s combined shoves.

When they finally went in, hours later, Harry was shivering but grinning as he stepped into the house where Molly was waiting with warming charms and steaming mugs. He and Ron sat on the couch, huddled together under the blankets to try and warm up as they sipped at hot chocolate. After the initial disagreement, the night before, Harry and Ron had quickly become good friends. Sure, they lived completely different kinds of lives, but they shared the same love for new things and adventure.

As they sat down for dinner after cleaning up from their games in the lake, Harry felt a tingle in his nose before giving a hard sneeze. There were several ‘Bless you’s tossed out before Harry could speak, but the thing that caught Harry’s attention most was when Dazey suddenly popped in, holding a vial of something and holding out a handkerchief.

“Young Master sir shant be getting sick,” she said, voice sharp like he was scolding him and eyes almost wild. “Young Master sir will be drinking this.”

Harry blinked, and took the vial. For a second, Dazey seemed to glare at him before he quickly uncorked it and downed the entire bottle. He gave it back to her and she disappeared. When he looked to Skyla and Jasper, they just shook their heads.

“Mom likes to let the house elves do their things,” Skyla said. “And Dazey’s sort of their leader. And pretty much despises germs.”

Harry shrugged, and ate his dinner.

XxXXxX

When they were finally going home, Harry was excited beyond words. He bounced on his feet, bag packed before sunrise, and a waiting in the living room. Skyla and Jasper were still sleeping, but Harry was excited to tell Mama about his new friend and all the fun he’d had goofing off with the Weasley’s.

Harry ended up having to distract himself for the first half of the day. Ron and him played wizard chess, exploding snaps, and a few other games that they had laying around. Ron beat at him at wizard chess, proud of himself even though Harry knew just how bad at chess he was. Molly made breakfast and he and Jasper went outside to wait.

For a while, they sat outside together. Jasper told him about some of the magical creatures that his mother studied. Mostly dragons and their reptilian relatives. Harry asked Jasper about what kind of pet he thought Harry should get. Jasper said that there were tons of different pets in the family, aside from the famous Ba’ul and the owls. There had been rats, kneazle-cats, a crup or two, Deirrick had a few bats, Skyla had a chinchilla, and a few other different creatures. Harry could pick almost anything and it gave him a few ideas of what he might want. Maybe a ferret? Or a snake? They didn’t really need another owl, but it would be cool…

Eventually, Skyla came to call them inside. It was time to go home, and Harry had so much to tell Mama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not much, but I ran out of ideas. There was some tiny things on this worlds pure-blood culture, and Gerald Alistair got a bit more attention for his character. Don't worry, he's still the strong, silent type of man.


	7. An Owl Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry gets an owl

After a few hours of being back at the mansion, Harry had effectively told Mama everything about what had happened while he had been at the Weasleys. Everything. 

She had been pleased he had a friend his own age that wasn't in the family, and she in turn told him a bit about the gala he had missed. There had been dancing, dining, and apparently something called courting? Dahlia apparently had a man initiate some kind ritual that Harry didn't understand. Mama promised he would when he was older.

They decided, as the time for the older kids return to Hogwarts drew closer, that Harry would go with them to Diagon Alley so he could look for a pet. He'd agreed to go under an illusion charm, so that not to many people would bother them. Mama was worried enough with all the excitement of a new addition to ‘the Horde’, and in the end she would be right to worry. 

Papa would take Harry to go look at pets at the Magical Menagerie while Mama took Dahlia and Skyla to get their books. Derrick had already finished school, and it would be his first year staying at home. Still, aside from the rare and occasional visits of his older sibling, or his younger ‘cousins’ (nieces and nephews, really.) the house would mostly be Harry's personal stomping grounds. After all, Mama and Papa did have to work, and would be offal busy. 

As they entered the menagerie, Harry under a disillusion charm and Papa with his usually silent air, Harry found himself looking right at a big, fat, fluffy cat. Its ginger face was smushed in, and through it's thick face fur, Harry could see intelligent eyes boring into his as if it could see right into his soul. 

“Mrow,” the cat purred at him, winding its way across its perch on the shelf to hop onto his shoulder. It pressed a little kiss to Harry's cheek with its nose, then wondered off as if their interaction had never happened

“Never seen him do that before,” the woman behind the counter said as the cat wandered out of sight. “For whatever reason, he must like you. Wanna take him?” 

“Uh,” Harry said, glancing up at his Papa. “I- I don't really want a cat…” 

Papa nodded, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder. “You can look. We'll find you something you do want.” 

Harry smiled, and once the hand was pulled away, he went weaving through the shelves and isles to find the pet he wanted. There were rodents and birds and a few small felines. But nothing really called to him, and a few of the felines tried to scratch him. He wasn't sure what he wanted, but at this point he didn't think he wanted a cat or a rat. 

He returned to Papa, finding him studying the woman behind the counter. She was sweating nervously, and fidgeted when Harry came back from exploring the isles. 

“I didn't find anything,” Harry said. “But is it okay if we go to that Owl Emporium? I think I want an owl.” 

“A wizard needs an owl,” Papa said, side eyeing the woman in a suspicious way. “We'll find you a good owl, Harrison.” 

And with that, Papa lead Harry from the shop. As they went, a few people stopped to try and talk to him, or if they seemed particularly brave, to Papa. Harry was getting very, very uncomfortable, and held tightly onto Papa's sleeve as they went. 

Entering the Emporium, Papa once again stopped to wait by the register and the door as Harry went looking. The store was filled with resting perches, all kinds of owls sitting on them. They all fascinated him, making him wide eyed as one actually flew down. He lifted his arm like he'd seen Dahlia do, and the owl landed heavily on his forearm. It actually kind of hurt. 

The bird hooted at him, it's regal brown face tilting in confusion. Then, it flapped its wings, pulling its head back. For a second, Harry thought it was going to attack him, but instead it flew off. 

Maybe an owl wasn't a good idea…

And then, silent and elegant, a pure white owl, much smaller then the others, flew down and landed silently on the perch next to him. A little startled, Harry jumped, taking a step back as he bit his lip. The bird hooted softly, its eyes sharp, but soft looking. It dipped its head, and gently nipped at his sleeve as if to ask for permission. 

Slowly, Harry held out his arm, and the owl in turn stepped carefully on. This owl was much lighter then the last, and it stretched its head to pick gently at Harry's hair. It felt nice, actually, and Harry giggled as the owl hooted into his fluff of hair. 

“That's quite a fine owl,” a soft, feminine voice said behind Harry. “It would be a good owl for a son of Gerald Alistair.” 

Quickly, Harry turned around, wide eyed as the owl hooted and flapped its wings on his arm. Behind him was a tall woman, with blond hair and sharp eyes that made it feel like she was looking through him into his soul. Her face, however, was not hard at all. Simply set in a way the made her face look mean. 

“Sorry?” Harry asked softly, figiting as he took a step back. 

“You're Harrison Alistair,” the woman said simply. “And your father is Gerald Alistair. He mentored my husband, and I went to school with your sister, Freya. Quite the eccentric woman, but a true Slytherin like Lord Alistair.” 

“Oh,” Harry said, squirming as he started to back away. “I, uh, yeah. I need to… um…” 

The woman blinked, and her entire being seemed to soften as she smiled. “Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself.” She held out a hand, waiting until Harry had taken it carefully in his before continuing. “I'm Narcissa Malfoy, Lady of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Malfoy. I have a son your age who will in your year at Hogwarts.” 

“Really?” Meeting Ron Weasley had been fun, and it was good to have a friend his age. Maybe this Malfoy boy could be his friend too? “What's his name? What's he like?” 

“Well,” Mrs. Malfoy hummed, smiling. “He's-” 

“Lady Malfoy,” Papa's sharp voice cut in with a sharp  _ crack _ of him slamming the bottom of his cane on the floor. Harry jumped, and Mrs. Malfoy turned, her face once again sharp. 

“Lord Alistair,” Mrs. Malfoy gasped, bowing slightly to him. “How nice to see you again. We didn't get a chance to speak in depth at your Summer Gala, and I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting your newest heir. He's been nothing but polite, and-” 

“Enough,” Papa said sharply, eyes narrowed. “You know that if you wish for an introduction of our children, the four of us must all agree to the terms of the introduction. You know our traditions. “ 

“Of course,” she said, a forced little smile coming to her face. “Young Harrison here simply asked a question about my darling son.” 

Papa kept his eyes on Mrs. Malfoy, but held out a hand to Harry. Harry, not wanting any more trouble, quickly walked over and took it. The owl on his arm hooted, side stepping its way until it was practically on his shoulder. Papa wasted no time, and quickly led Harry towards the front of the store. 

“Papa,” Harry said, voice a little shaky and his heart thundering. “The, um… The owl…” 

“Already paid for,” Papa replied in a gruff sort of growl. “She's all yours.” 

Harry swallowed, looking from Papa to the owl. At least he knew she was a girl now… But… had he angered Papa that much, just by talking to a nice lady? Or had he been wrong, and Mrs. Malfoy wasn't as nice as he had thought. 

They joined Mama, Nina, and Skyla outside a bookstore. They were all smiling and happy, but as soon as Mama saw Papa, she scowled. 

“Well,” she said, dusting off her hands on her robes. “I think that's enough for today. Why don't we go home?” 

The girls shifted uncomfortably, and Harry squirmed as they all headed for the apearation point. On the way, more people pointed and whispered, and Harry held tight to his owl. The white bird hooted, nipping reassuringly all the way until they got home. 

Once they'd landed just outside of their yard, Papa let go of his hand, and Harry pulled his hand to his chest. He hadn't realized that his fingers had gone a little numb, palm red from Papa's surprisingly hard squeeze. Mama glanced at him, eyes blinking in surprise, before they turned to Papa in a narrowed hardness. 

“Harry,” she said, voice barely kept calm as she scowled. “Take your owl to the owlry.” 

“I…” Harry swallowed, figiting. “I don't know where it is…” 

“We'll show you,” Nina said quickly, placing one hand on his shoulder to guide him inside. “Come on, Skyla.” 

The three of them walked quickly, leaving Mama and Papa in the front yard. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying, but he glanced back. They looked to be arguing about something. From the way Papa had reacted at the Emporium, it was probably him… 

The girls showed him to the Owlery, where he let his owl go to meet the other family owls. Once his white bird was settled, the girls gave him hugs and kisses on the cheeks before heading off to do whatever it is that they do. Harry scuffed his shoe against the floor, walking back down the hall to head towards his room, mind swirling with thought. Had he been wrong? Where the Alistair's mean and hurtful like the Dursley's? But they'd been so nice before… 

“You need to calm down,” Mama's voice said through the door to Harry's right. “Gerald, you were scarring Harry.” 

“Zinnia,” Papa snarled. “She approached him while he was looking for an owl. She tried to introduce him to her son!” 

“It's not the end of the word, Gerald. He's just a boy, and they are-” 

“-hypocrites who push that they support tradition, yet joined that vile man in his monstrous crusades!” 

“The war is over, Gerald! Yes, they have twisted traditions that we've long held, but that does not give you the right to scare our children when the woman could have simply been there on accident. “ 

“I never meant to scare him.” 

“But you did.” 

Harry squirmed, starting to walk again. He needed a moment, now, to just be alone. He was glad that he wasn't in any trouble, but he just needed a minute. So Harry walked down the stairs and out to the garden. Tikki was pruning the hedges, the endless rows of twisting flowers bright and colorful. She glanced at him as he went by, giving a light bow as he passed before returning to her work. 

Harry, somehow, ended up in the small glade, a patch of plush grass that wasn't swallowed by rose bushes. The surrounding blooms were magic, opening and whistling when nothing but the wind moved. So Harry settled down, his knees pulled close to his chest, and he slowly let out a breath to let the rainbow of flowers open and whistle a soft tune. He listened to the flowers for a while, just letting the garden take him in and soothe him. 

But then, everything stopped. The whistling flowers snapped shut, and the only sound was the soft wind rustling leaves. Harry looked around, growing tense as he searched for whatever had stopped the flowers. There wasn't anyone behind him, and nothing he could see that would… Then, just in front of him in the brush, there was a low, deadly, hiss. 


	8. Baby Snakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh! I got so distracted with other things, I totally forgot this chapter has been done for weeks! Sorry for the delay! It's all back in order, and being put to work again!

Harry sat frozen in his spot as the three foot snake sprang from the brush under the roses. Its slitted eyes were a strange bright green, like deadly poison, with red fire like scales that spiked up all along its body. He scream when its mouth opened, showing massive fangs that dripped venom. 

Twisting away, covering his head with his arms, Harry wanted his Mama and Papa, wanted to be back in the house and away from this evil creature. Was it going to eat him? Kill him? He didn't want to die… 

But then a screech filled the air, followed by another hiss. 

“ _ No _ !” A voice hissed. “ _ Foul feather creature _ !” 

Harry turned, watching in shock as his new owl, along with the others from the owlery, swooped down to snap and scratch and peck at the snake. It writhed, and Harry scrambled back as it seemed to scream. 

“ _ No _ !” The voice wailed again, but this time, Harry could see it was coming from the snake. “ _ No, you can't have them! My babies, my babies! _ ” 

And just like that, the snake was gone, and carried off by the older owls. Harry's owl, and boy did Harry need a name for her, landed on the ground next to him, hopping up to him and hooting urgently. 

“I'm fine,” Harry breathed, though his stomach twisted as the snakes words rolled in his head.  _ My babies _ . It-  _ She _ must have had a nest, a nest of tiny snakes that needed protection. “We need to find the nest.” 

His owl hooted, tilting her head to one side then the other, watching confusedly as Harry scrambled towards the bush where the snake had burst from. He lowered himself on the ground, turning to peer under the mess of thorns and branches. Just a bit into the bush was a small mound of dirt. And Harry could see tiny smooth green heads, twisting around in their little nest. 

For a minute, Harry just watched them. They looked kinda… cute, actually. With their tiny heads and big eyes blinking sleepily. Harry just wanted to scoop them up and cuddle with them and hold them. They were just so cute! 

But he had to get them to safety first. 

Slowly, he lifted a thorny branch away from the ground. He pricked himself a few times, but eventually lifted the branches enough that sunlight could flow onto the tiny snakes without trouble. They blinked, hissed out tiny protests, and Harry gently held out his hand. 

“ _ Sorry _ ,” he said, smiling at they all looked up at him. “ _ But your Mama's gone and I need to get you out of here _ .” 

“ _ Mama _ ?” One snake hissed, looking up at Harry. The others looked to him as well. 

“ _ Uh, no, _ ” Harry said. “ _ I'm not Mama. Not me. _ ” 

“ _ Mama _ ,” another snake hissed, slithering its way up his arm. The others soon followed, hissing ‘Mama’ over and over. 

“Oh boy,” Harry sighed, pulling the snakes carefully out from under the bush. There were about 10 of them, all green and just barely 15, 16 centimeters long. They had trouble staying on his arm, so he turned the bottom on his shirt into a little pouch, letting the snakes slide off into it. 

His owl hooted, as if to say ‘you've gotten yourself into a mess’, then flew off. Well, she was no help… So Harry carried the little mass of snakes back to the house, Dizzy appearing almost instantly. 

“Youngest Master has pesky creatures,” she gasped. “Dizzy with dispose of them now, Young Master, befores they bite or makes a mess!” 

“ _ No, no, _ ” the little scaley babies cried. “ _ No, no! Stay! Stay, Mama! _ ” 

“Don't!” Harry said, quickly pulling the snakes away from Dizzy’s reach. “They won't hurt me, and I won't let them make a mess! Please, Dizzy? I just need a basket or something, and maybe a book on snakes? I wanna help them…” 

Dizzy pursed her lips, but eventually nodded. Her large ears flopped at the side of her head as she did, and Harry still found it a little funny, though he knew he couldn’t laugh. She was gone and back with a pop, a basket in hand with a pillow and a small blanket in it to make a little nest. Harry easily coaxed the tiny snakes out of the pouch of his shirt and into the basket, and he eagerly picked it up to carry to his room. 

Dizzy met him there with a stack of encyclopedias and research materials. She looked stern, and set them on his desk as he used the tip of his finger to lightly pet the top of one of the snakes heads. 

“Youngest Master best be telling Master and Mistress soon,” she said. “Dizzy can not be keeping secrets from Master and Mistress.” 

“You won’t,” Harry promised. “Just… don’t say anything about this unless they ask, okay?” 

Dizzy grumbled, but bowed and popped away. 

Harry, in the meantime, opened up one of the snake books and started looking for anything that looked like the mama snake. Something long, with spiky scales. Venomous, and could talk. He had to discard the first book pretty quickly, since it became clear that it was written by Muggles. These snakes were magical. They could  _ talk _ . He needed a wizard book. 

Harry spent hours pouring over different books, trying to find anything on talking snakes. Nothing in wizard books, nothing in muggle fairy tales involving snakes, nothing anywhere. Had he maybe discovered something new? A new kind of snake? 

But then he opened a book that was out of place, at the bottom of the book pile.  _ Magi-Lang: Speaking from the Core _ . A quick glance inside showed that it was a book on magical languages, some of which were inheritable. He didn’t understand why Dizzy would put this book in the snake pile, until he actually flipped through it and reached an entry on the unteachable inherited language called Parseltongue. It allowed the user to speak to snakes, in hisses that no one else could understand. So the snakes didn't speak human language… Harry spoke snake language. 

But that helped his search. He wasn't looking for mythical talking snakes anymore. Just normal snakes. 

So Harry restarted his search, and actually opened the Muggle encyclopedia this time. With its actual photographs instead of drawings, Harry found the snakes rather quickly. The Spiny Bush Viper. Venomous, no cure for their venom, and generally only growing to be 60 centimeters. They like to live in bushes, and spend most of their days sleeping at the top in the sun while hunting at night. They can be a wide variety of colors, but they were green until their adult coloring started to show after four months. 

“This is so cool,” Harry breathed, grinning to himself for a minute. He reached out, lightly scratching another snake, or maybe the same one, he wasn't sure. He really needed to figure out a way to tell them all apart. 

“Harry,” a knock on his door sounded, Mama's voice just behind it. “May I come in?” 

“Uh,” Harry breathed, looking around quickly for a place to hide his snake basket. “Just a second, Mama!” 

Quickly, he scooped up the basket, and half shoved it under his bed, where Mama wouldn't be able to see it from by the door. It's not that he wanted to hide the snakes from her, he just didn't want to scare her with them. After all, the book said they were venomous. He put his finger to his lips, giving the baby snakes a silent ‘shh’, before draping a blanket over them and going to the door.

“Yes, Mama?” Harry asked as he cracked open the door. If he could, he'd like to keep her from coming in. He didn't want to risk her seeing his little friends. 

“Harry,” she said with a smile. “May I come in?” 

“Of course, Mama.” 

He opened the door, letting her walk in. She smiled, looking around, and spotting something on his desk. She picked it up, and Harry held his breath. The books! He'd forgotten about the books! 

“Taking an interest in snakes?” Mama asked, though her tone didn't sound disapproving. “Your Papa's house in Hogwarts had a snake as their mascot. Neva, Freya, Dahlia, and Nina were all in Slytherin as well. They get a bad reputation, as the house of the snake, that they're bad and evil. But they really aren't.” She set the book down, smiling at Harry, almost sadly. “Harry, your Papa wasn't mad at you.” 

“I know,” Harry said, possibly a little to fast, as Mama frowned. “I heard you both talking, when I was going to the garden… He was upset because of something Mrs. Malfoy said. But I don't know why. She was just telling me about her son.” 

Mama pursed her lips, frowning as she sat on his bed. “Harry, tradition is… very important to us. More so for your Papa. The Malfoy’s… well, many pureblood wizarding families, they've twisted many of our traditions to fit their liking, rather then just abandoning them. Introductions of sons or daughters of two families was one such tradition they have mostly abandoned.” 

Harry frowned, sitting next to her. “But why would that be important? How me and the Malfoy boy meet?” 

“Well, it wouldn't be very important if the boy had older brothers or sisters, but he doesn't and is the heir to his family. So, the future relationship between our two families must be taken into consideration. The same thing was done when your Papa and the previous Lord Malfoy, Abraxas, introduced Lucius Malfoy and your brother Emit. It was quite tense, due to the last war, but they made a strained alliance that was beneficial for them both.” 

“Oh,” Harry breathed. “I didn't know.” 

“Of course you didn't,” Mama said, wrapping an arm around him to hug him close. “We haven't taught you about any of these traditions yet. And we don't want you to have to worry about any of this yet. Not until your older. And who knows, maybe you'll meet him on your own before you go to Hogwarts.” 

“Yeah,” Harry said, smiling a little. 

They sat there for a moment, feeling just fine in their companionable silence. Mama hummed a soft tune, eventually kissing the top of his head. 

“You like the garden?” She asked. 

“Yeah. It's so pretty, and I love the whistling flowers.” It was then that Harry got an idea. “Do you think… I could get some in my room? To help me sleep at night?” 

“You're having trouble sleeping?” Mama asked, only to ignore her own question. “But of course we can bring some into your room. You'll have to take care of them, though. Maybe you can finally open some of those books Quinn gave you.” 

“I have,” Harry said, pouting. It wasn't a lie, but he hadn't really read any of them. Though, now that he thought about it, one of those books was probably about snakes. He'd have to check his book shelf for it when he got the chance. And, of course, the gardening book. 

“Of course, dear,” Mama said, smiling as she gently smoothed his hair. “I'll have Tikki get the things we'll need. Maybe it could be a fun thing that we do together. Setting up a little garden in your room.” 

“Sure,” Harry said, smiling as she nodded. “Could we start tomorrow?” 

“Of course,” Mama returned cheerfully. She stood, brushing his hair aside and giving his forehead a little kiss, before leaving the room. finally moving towards the door. “Dinner will be in an hour. Why don’t you tell us the name of your new owl at dinner?” 

“Okay.” She left and Harry released a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. He turned, lifting the blanket to reveal the basket, and lifted the basket of snakes onto the bed. “ _ That was close…. Well, now all I have to do is think of a name for my owl. _ ” 

“ _ Owl? _ ” His little snake friends hissed. “ _ What is owl _ ?” 

“ _ A bird, _ ” Harry told them. “ _ She's my friend. Can you help me think of a name? _ ” He paused. “ _ Do you all have names? _ ” 

They all looked at each other, looking quite confused, but then all seemed to nod in agreement. Harry smiled. 

“ _ Will you tell me them? _ ” he asked. “ _ When I get back from dinner, that is. _ ” 

“ _ Dinner _ ,” they all moaned. 

“ _ Right _ ,” Harry said with a laugh. “ _ You guys need to eat to… I'll bring you up something. Any ideas for a name for my owl, though? _ ” 

The little snakes all seemed to hiss at each other, not looking at Harry for a minute before one slithered up to whisper it in his ear. He liked it though, and giggled as the snakes all settled down into the basket. And with that, Harry was off to go join his family for dinner. 

Nina and Skyla were in their usual spots, next to each other on Mama's right. Mama herself sat to Papa's right with Derrick on the left with a notebook open by his plate. Since it was a smaller meal, not the entire Alistair family, they sat at a smaller round table then the large rectangular one in the dining hall, and Harry sat between Derrick and Skyla. They were having pork chops, with roast potatoes. It wasn't the worst thing Dizzy had made them, but Harry didn't think it was his absolute favorite. 

“So,” Mama said, smiling softly. “Did you decide on a name for your owl, Harry?” 

He smiled, nodding as he took a bite of potatoes. “I’m going to call her Hedwig. I think is sounds pretty.” 

They sat and ate, talking when they weren't chewing. Mama always believed a good conversation was important at the table. Said it kept the family together. 

It was nice, as always. 


	9. The Gala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is gonna be the last chapter for this one, but I'm turning it into a series rewrite, so there will be a part after this for the first year at Hogwarts!

As the weeks went on, Harry learned more about his little snake friends. They each had different names, and it was actually a little hard to keep track of which one was which while they were all green. The book he read said that they would gain adult coloration after about three months, and that they could be a wide variety of colors.

Like she promised, Mama helped him build a little garden in a corner of his room, near his desk and window. She didn’t see Harry’s new snake friends, since he hid them in the closet when they were working. It took a bit longer then a week, but when they finally finished, the whistling flowers whistled him to sleep at night, and became the home of his snake friends.

Come September, they had to say goodbye to Dahlia, Nina, Jasper, and Skyla at King’s Cross Station. Harry was sad to see them go, but was glad to hear they would be back in December for Christmas. It would be rather quiet in the house, though. Like it had been when he first got there. True, Derrick would be there now, to, but he was always in his room, or in the basement, working on potions stuff that Harry wasn’t allowed to touch.

Over the next few months leading up to Christmas, Harry went to the Weasley's a total of six times. They arranged for him to go every other week, to spend time with his friends. His cousin- well, niece, technically, but it was weird to call her that when he was younger then her -Marrisa came with him sometimes, when Dorian was asked to consult on Keeper training or had to do to therapy for his leg. Marrisa spent most of her time with Ron’s sister, Ginny, while Harry dragged Ron around to explore the woods nearby.

When winter rolled around, and Harry had to start bundling up when he went outside because of the snow, his little snake friends finally started showing their colors. Much to his surprise, they were all different colors. Gift, who seemed the most quiet of them, was a dark blue, and spent most of his time curled up at the base of the bush. Lyn, who was probably one of the more adventurous ones, was a lime green color, and was always getting Strup, a dark marroon male, to go exploring in the room. Halima, who was really shy, was kind of hard to spot in the flowers with her equally pale yellow scales, and was always running off with her gray colored brother, Visham, tried to play with her, but Visham wanted to play with everyone. Just as adventurous as Lyn, Chusi was a fiery orange, sneaking off to find her way into the den where Harry would randomly find her curled up under Mama’s chair. Zehar and Avashi, a jet black and sunshine yellow respectively, were inseparable, with Zehar being silent and trailing after Avashi as she wondered around, just happy to be anywhere with anyone.

Harry’s favorites, by far, had to be Honavi and Nikoa. They were like polar opposites, but they were more alike then either would admit. Honavi, while a bright apple red, was very eager to see new things, but didn’t really think or worry about consequences to herself or others. Nikoa, a deep emerald green, always thought things through, and was hesitant to jump into something. They both really cared about Harry, and their siblings, though.

By the time Christmas actually came, Harry had started carrying Honavi and Nikoa around with him under his robes. They didn't like the cold snow when he went outside, but they did like it when he brought them to dinner with him. He usually took them with him to the Weasley’s and Ron ended up nearly finding them on several occasions.

When Nina and Skyla were back for Christmas, the house quickly filled with noise again. It was his first Christmas with the Alistair’s, and Harry quickly found that, no matter what, all the Alistair’s came together for Christmas. By the 22nd, every room in the house was filled, and even the relative's he’d yet to meet were there, like Freya’s husband, Kale. They also brought the dragon, Ba’ul, and Harry had to stare at it for a while.

He didn’t have much time to prepare presents, but he did his best. Using some of the skills he’d learned from the books Quinn got him before, and a lot of help from the elves, Harry had something for each of them by the time Christmas day actually arrived. Most of them were really easy to plan for.

The Wells all got leather pouches that could be attached to their belts or warn as a shoulder back, and each had their initials embroidered on them. Harry even had a bigger one made for Ba’ul, so he could wear it on his belly like a kangaroo. Milla, Hester, and Jenna all got a heavily spelled item that had been done mostly by the elves, that acted as a flying version of a muggle wind up toy mixed with a snitch. It flew around everywhere, for one minute for each turn, and chirped a song when it was caught. Quinn got a new recipe book, one to write his original ones in, with a few pages on in the front filled with ones Harry had made before. Derrick got a custom designed quill, while Dorian got a specially designed guitar pick. Skyla got a painting that Harry had spent hours on making perfect, of her in her favorite tree in the garden that wasn’t bad, but wasn’t great. Mama and Papa each got a special embroidered handkerchief in what Dizzy said was their house colors that Harry made himself.

The rest, though… Harry had a hard time finding things for them, and ended up making sweets in the kitchen with the elves for them. He apologized, but as he sat on the floor with the other kids, most of the adults just started. Hell, even the other kids stared.

“Harry,” Mama said, holding her sunny yellow handkerchief to her chest, thumb rubbing over the curvy embroidery of her initials. “Darling. You didn’t have to do this.”

“Why not?” Harry asked. “It’s Christmas.”

“Mom’s right,” Mason said, though his cheeks were stuffed with the chocolate Harry had made. “That’s a lot for you to do. Even with the elf help.”

Harry shrugged, and blushed a little at all the praise his family gave him. He loved it, and squirmed as he giggled.

XxXXxX

The rest of the year seemed like it was going to be pretty uneventful after Christmas. Honestly, Harry wasn’t that surprised. It was a routine of visiting the Weasley’s and then doing things with Marrisa or Dizzy when at home. He actually got a little bored after a while, and found himself in the garden with Honavi and Nikoa, just lazing around once it stopped being to cold more often then not. He still went to the kitchens and cooked with Tikki and the others, but not as often since Dizzy would chase him out for bringing Honavi and Nikoa in with him.

He wasn’t sure how, but one day, after being chased off by Dizzy yet again, Papa was in his room, sitting at his desk with Gift hissing as he hung off the end of his cane.

“Papa,” Harry squeaked. “G-Gift doesn’t like to be bothered...”

Moving forward, Harry carefully took the snake off the end of the cane, and lowered him down. Gift hissed his annoyance, grumbling how he didn’t like being manhandled, and slithered off back into his spot as Visham eagerly same up to say ‘hi’. Harry turned back to Papa, who was studying Lyn and Strup as they slithered back in through the open window.

“Eight,” Papa said. “Eight snakes. How long?”

Harry squirmed, bringing his hand up to his collar for Honavi and Nikoa to slither out from under his shirt and coil around his wrist. “There’s… There’s ten… I found them after we got my owl… Please, can I keep them? I know I hid them, but they won’t bite. I promise.”

Papa hummed. “How do you know?”

For a moment, Harry blinked. “How do… What?”

“You say they won’t bite. How do you know?”

“Oh…” For a moment, Harry wondered if he should tell Papa about the Parseltongue, but quickly thought better and turned to Honavi and Nikoa. _“Papa wants to be sure you won’t bite anyone. Can you nod for him?”_

Nikoa turned back to Papa, who was staring with the most wide eyed expression Harry had seen on him, and nodded slowly as Honavi eagerly did so. Harry looked sheepishly at his Papa.

“I can speak Parseltongue… They imprinted on me, I guess, and they’ve been living in the bush, but I wake up with most of them in my bed… They won’t hurt anyone, as long as no one hurts them.” Harry paused, eyeing Gift. “Except Gift. He kinda doesn’t like anyone.”

For a minute, Papa just continued to stare. Finally, he stood, leaning a little on his cane in front of him. “You will keep the snakes,” he said, voice filled with a note of finality to it. “But no one outside of the house can know about your gift. I will make sure your mother agrees.”

Slowly he started towards the door, and reached out to ruffle Harry’s hair before he left. Harry smiled, reaching up with the hand not holding Honavi and Nikoa to touch the fluffy locks. They hadn’t talked much- Well, Papa didn’t talk much in general. But Harry knew that Papa cared. He was just looking out for Harry. Though he wasn’t sure what Papa had wanted in his room…

 _“Well he’s odd,”_ Nikoa hissed.

 _“Hey,”_ Hair hissed back. _“Be nice. That’s my Papa.”_

 _“But I wonder what he wanted,”_ Honavi mused, before getting distracted with Avashi and Zehar.

Harry wondered to.

XxXXxX

He didn’t have to wait long to find out. Turns out, the Lady Harry had met in the owl emporium had come to the house. She had tea with Mama, who was less then pleased to see her. But when he came down, Mama went from annoyed to worried.

“Harrison,” Mrs. Malfoy said, smiling as she set down her cup. “How lovely to see you again, dear. Zinnia, surely your young boy would like to join us for tea?”

 _“She wants something,”_ Nikoa hissed in his ear. _“I say we go back upstairs and listen to what they say.”_

 _“Or,”_ Honavi said, the eye roll evident in her voice. _“We can just sit down and ask.”_

But before Harry could decide to accept or excuse himself, Mama sighed, and gestured to a seat next to her. “Yes, dear. Perhaps you should join us.”

So Harry moved forward and sat down in a chair. Dizzy popped in, setting a cup of hot chocolate in front of Harry rather then tea, and pushing his chair in a little for him. Carefully, Harry took the hot cup and sipped from it.

“Harry, darling,” Mama sighed. “Lady Malfoy here was just asking if you would like to meet her son. I’ve met him on a few occasions, at gala’s and the like, and he seems like a nice young man. He’s sure to be in Slytherin at Hogwarts, so it may be nice to know someone in your year in that house if you are sorted into Slytherin.”

“Will he be at the Summer Gala this year?” Harry asked, blowing on his cup to cool it down a little.

“The-?” Mama blinked. “Well, I suppose. He has come with his parents in the past… Why do you ask, Harry?”

“I want to go this year,” he said matter of factly. “And I was coming down to ask, but I want Ron to be there to, so I at least know someone my own age. Marrisa isn’t going, and Skyla still has a year before she has to start going, but I wanted to start being around people more, to get ready for when I go to Hogwarts.” Harry sipped at his choco. “If it’s okay with you, of course.”

“I’d have to talk to your father, and Ronald’s mother,” Mama sighed, placing a hand on her cheek. “And we may have to offer to get the boy some proper robes… Are you sure you want to go, darling? It’s fine if you don’t.”

“I want to.” Harry set down his cup, turning to Mrs. Malfoy. “If I meet your son at the gala, then I’ll talk to him. If not, I’ll just meet him at Hogwarts.”

“That’s perfectly fine by me,” Mrs. Malfoy said, smiling before she looked at the clock. “Oh dear, I must be going. I’m afraid my son’s private lessons will be over soon, and I can’t leave him in the manor alone. Mind if I use your floo, rather then appeariate?”

“Not at all,” Mama said, and Mrs. Malfoy was soon off. She sighed, turning to look at Harry. “My, you are a scheming one, aren’t you?”

Harry looked up at her, eyes filled with an almost doe like innocence. “I don’t know what you mean, Mama.”

At his shoulder, Nikoa laughed.

XxXXxX

Ron did end up being allowed to come, and did have to get new robes. There weren’t many kids their age there, so while adults did try to talk to Harry, who had his scar hidden under a glamour and some of his mother’s makeup, he and Ron were mostly alone for most of the night. They spent most of their time sitting off to the side, just talking or sneaking out a deck of cards to play with when Mama and the other adults weren’t looking.

Eventually, though, they got bored and got permission to go out to the garden. Harry had to promise he wouldn’t go messing up his robes. Dizzy was already upset that one of the guests had tracked mud in…

“You’re house is so big,” Ron said, looking uncomfortable as he peered up at the house. “Makes the Burrow look tiny…”

“I like the Burrow,” Harry replied, leading Ron through to the whistling flowers. “It’s… loud and full, and I love it here but it gets so quiet, you know?”

“No,” Ron frowned. “It’s never quiet at the Burrow.”

“Can’t imagine it is,” a snooty voice called from ahead. “Red hair and freckles. You may be dressed in nice robes, but you’re a Weasley. What, did your father steal them on his way back from playing with Muggles?”

Harry frowned, turning to blink at the group in front of him and Ron. It was a group of four, with three boys and two girls. Two of the boys were standing at the back, both big and round like Dudley, but with more muscle and even less brain. The girl was taller then Harry, and Ron, with a almost pig like nose, and a terrible smile with to perfect teeth to be real. The last boy, however, was the one who sneered, his silvery blond hair slicked back and wearing fancy robes with some kind of crest that Harry couldn’t see.

“No!” Ron snapped, his ears going red as Harry clenched his fist.

“Oh really?” The blond drawled. “Well, I suppose your friend here must have dressed you up. Though I didn’t know any of the families her tonight still had human serving staff, much less dressed them up like proper purebloods. They must be fools.”

The girl let out a giggle that was more like a cackle, and Harry was seething. This kid was in his house, his _home_ , and dared to insult his friend?! Dared to insult his parents?! He could practically feel his blood boiling, and felt Honavi and Nikoa slithering under his shirt against his skin. They were agitated, angry just like he was.

“Oh, Dray~” The girl cooed, voice coming out in a horrible snorty sound compared to ‘Dray’s smooth hiss. “I think you made him angry!”

“Come on, mate,” Ron said, grabbing his shoulder. “Let’s just go back inside.”

“Yes,” Dray laughed, using one hand to wave them off, as if swatting away flies. “Run off to your masters. I’m sure they’ll be needing a top off on their wine, the poor sods.”

Harry couldn’t keep it in. He felt the rage boil over, and quick as a viper, he lunged at the blond boy. The boy gave a shriek, as did the girl, who quickly ran off. The two bigger boys reached to pull Harry off as he slammed the boy into the mud, but quickly jumped away as Honavi and Nikoa burst out from his collar, hissing angrily at them.

It was Ron that finally pulled Harry off the boy, who was curled up on the ground arms up to cover his head. Honavi and Nikoa slid back into his shirt, hiding away as Ron tugged him away and up to the house. They were back and up to Harry’s room before any adults arrived, and they stayed there for the rest of the night.

“Oh man,” Ron said, sitting down on the floor by the end of Harry’s bed, while Harry sat by the whistling bush and let the snakes come and comfort him. “That was… insane. We’re going to be in so much trouble. And what’s up with the snakes?”

“They’re my friends,” Harry said, pulling his knees up to his chest as even shy Halima and anti-social Gift were giving his cheeks little snake kisses. “Just like you are… And I couldn’t let them talk about you like that. Or about Mama and Papa like that… But they’re going to be so mad...”

“They probably won’t mention getting into a fight,” Ron assured him. “They’d get in more trouble if they do. Probably just going to say that they went out to the garden and slipped in the mud.”

Harry smiled, feeling a little better. “Thanks Ron… I’ll still tell Mama and Papa what happened. When everything is over.”

Ron nodded, and the spent rest of the party playing exploding snap. Once everyone was gone, they both went down to tell Mama what had happened. She hadn’t been happy, and sent Ron home early, and Harry ended up grounded for the rest of the summer. He was to spend the rest of his summer only studying for the upcoming school year, until his mind felt numb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the end of the set up for everything... We'll be going to Hogwarts next time, and Harry will get sorted. Will he be in Gryffindor, or Slytherin? Maybe somewhere else?...  
> No, seriously, I don't know where to sort him yet!


End file.
